Day in Rock Report for 01/15/2018

Today's Day in Rock Stories

(hennemusic) Founding Foreigner members Mick Jones and Lou Gramm and joined Billy Joel to perform a pair of their classic hits during his January 11 show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and video from the event is streaming online.

The pair teamed up with Joel and his band during the latest in his long-running monthly residency gig at the famed venue for Foreigner's 1982 smash, "Urgent", before the New York singer/songwriter handed the piano over to Jones while Gramm led the group through their 1977 hit, "Cold As Ice."

The third single from Foreigner's self-titled debut, "Cold As Ice" was the band's second US Top 10 hit - following "Feels Like The First Time" - while "Urgent" was the lead track from the group's fourth consecutive multi-platinum effort, "4".

The Foreigner-Joel connection dates back many years, with Jones co-producing the piano man's 1989 album, "Storm Front", before he inducted the pair into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2013 - an event that marked their first appearance together in almost a decade.

Gramm and other members of the original Foreigner lineup reunited with the current band during their 40th anniversary tour in 2017 - including the run's US finale in Mount Pleasant, MI in October that was filmed for a forthcoming 2018 TV special, DVD and album release. Check out the Billy Joel jams

(Gibson) It's been in the news a lot recently-Elder statesman Eric Clapton being asked whether guitar was still relevant (he eventually concluded: "Of course it is.") People asking whether kids will continue to play rock, or just write EDM on their laptops and tablets (answer: both).

But Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, for one, is getting a bit bored that the questions are still being raised at all. Ahead of playing at February's BRIT Awards in London in February, Grohl has told the Daily Star newspaper:

"I don't believe in the school of thought that says rock'n'roll is an extinct genre - I've been answering that question for 25 ****ing years now. Every time I release a record they ask how it feels to be 'one of the last'." And Grohl's clearly a bit tired of it.

Foo Fighters are playing massive stadium gigs in the UK again in summer 2018, and although there are only three shows so far - one in Manchester, two in London - they sold out in just minutes. Chris York, from the band's UK promoters SJM, said there were "Incredible sales for Foo Fighters 2018 tour. Shows the depth and passion of their brilliant fanbase in the UK and a reflection of how amazing the band are live."

Grohl continued: "I remember giving an interview in London two years ago and the journalist asked, 'Don't you feel obsolete? Most of today's groups don't have guitars or drums.' And then we sold out two nights at Wembley Stadium. So no, I think we're OK and we're going to be just fine." Read more

(Radio.com) A new movie titled Proud Mary hits theater's this past Frieday (Jan. 12) and CCR legend John Fogerty, who wrote the hit song "Proud Mary" is not pleased.

In a lengthy statement via his official Facebook page, the Creedence Clearwater Revival founder explained why. "I wrote the song 'Proud Mary' fifty years ago, and I was very excited to have written such a good song. In fact, it was my very first good song," he wrote. "My songs are special to me. Precious. So it irks me when people seek to capitalize on the popularity of my music and the good will it has earned with the public for their own financial gain."

"No one ever asked me about using my song this way, or even about the meaning of Proud Mary. The movie poster has my lyrics changed to read'. 'killing for the Man every night and day," he continued. "I wrote the song about a mythical riverboat, cruising on a mythical river, in a mythical time. Perhaps, the setting was 'back in time" on the Mississippi River. It was obviously a metaphor about leaving painful, stressful things behind for a more tranquil and meaningful life."

"Far from a story about killing people for money." See Fogerty's full statement

(Gibson) Eric Clapton has been talking to the BBC about the new hard-hitting movie profiling his career, Life In 12 Bars, and at admits that - at the age of 72 - he's increasingly anxious about playing live-and going deaf.

Clapton told presenter Steve Wright he was worried about being able to play guitar and sing "proficiently" due to the ailments he has including tinnitus. "I am still going to work. I am going to do a show at Hyde Park [British Summer Time Festival] in July. The only thing I am concerned with now is I am going deaf, I've got tinnitus, my hands just about work.

"I'm hoping that people will come along and see me just because, or maybe more than because I'm a curiosity. I know that is part of it, because it's amazing to myself I'm still here."

Clapton admitted last year that he's been in pain after damaging his nervous system, which is why he's finding it hard to perform, however, he's "come to terms with it.'"

He said: "I've had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy. [It's] hard work to play the guitar and I've had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve." Clapton says he will thus limit his shows to avoid "embarrassing myself." Read more

(hennemusic) Jack White is sharing details of his third album, "Boarding House Reach", which will see its release on March 23. The rocker self-produced his first record in four years, which he recorded at his Third Man Studio in Nashville, TN, as well as Sear Sound in New York, NY, and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, CA.

White wrote and conceived "Boarding House Reach" while holed up in a spartan apartment in Nashville with literally no outside world distractions, using the same kind of gear he had when he was 15 years old: a quarter-inch four-track tape recorder, a simple mixer, and the most basic of instrumentation.

"Boarding House Reach" is being previewed with a video for the project's lead single, "Connected By Love", the first song the rocker wrote for the project.

"I just started humming notes out loud, staring out the window," White tells Rolling Stone. "After that, you really can't explain it. You just have to get out of the way and let it happen. And you don't really notice it as it's happening."

Audio of a second track, "Respect Commander", has also been issued to give fans a taste of the scope of the record. Listen to the song and read more

(hennemusic) Fleetwood Mac are streaming a previously-unheard early version of their track "Monday Morning" ahead of the January 19 release of an expanded reissue of their self-titled 1975 album.

Written by Lindsey Buckingham, the tune was originally intended for the second Buckingham Nicks album but went on to become the opening track on Fleetwood Mac's tenth studio record when the guitarist and Stevie Nicks joined the lineup following Bob Welch's departure a year earlier.

"Monday Morning" joins a previously-unreleased version of "Landslide" as the latest preview to the project, which will be available in a variety of configurations including a 3CD/DVD/LP Deluxe Edition, an expanded 2CD package, a single CD edition, and via digital download and streaming services.

The 1975 release delivered Fleetwood Mac their first US No. 1 album while setting the stage for the monster smash, "Rumours", two years later, a record that went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time with more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Following the "Fleetwood Mac" reissue, the group will become the first band honored as MusiCares Person Of The Year at the music industry charity's January 26 event at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"It's a tremendous honor to be the first band to receive the MusiCares Person of the Year award," says Mick Fleetwood. "Independently and together, we all set off on a journey to spend our lives as artists, songwriters and musicians. None of us did it alone and there were plenty of helping hands along the way, so we applaud and celebrate MusiCares' guiding principles of giving musicians a helping hand and a place to turn in times of need." Listen to the song

(Radio.com) Incubus is celebrating the art of dance. The California rockers have revealed a new music video for "Loneliest," a moody and atmospheric track from the band's latest full-length, 8.

The black and white clip features dancer Manaho Shimokawa, who twirls to the song. Singer Brandon Boyd joins in the dance at points throughout the video. Guitarist Mike Einziger also makes an appearance.

Watch the online stream of the brand new Incubus music video for the track "Loneliest"

(Radio.com) "Alison" was the second single from Elvis Costello's debut album My Aim Is True, released in 1977. Last week, the icon performed the classic song on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Costello took the Jimmy Kimmel Live stage for a stripped-down arrangement that featured two backup singers and wrenching vocals that mined new layers of the song's lyrics.

Rolling Stone named "Alison" number 323 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. On the original record, Costello was backed by Huey Lewis' band Clover, not The Attractions. Watch the performance